A Favorite Post

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Ravenel Bridge, Charleston, South Carolina, USA



Spanning the Cooper River and connecting Charleston and Mt. Pleasant, the Ravenel Bridge is reportedly the second longest among cable-stayed bridges in the Western Hemisphere.  Its eight traffic lanes opened in 2005.  It also features separate pedestrian and bicycle lanes and is used and enjoyed by thousands for recreation or just to walk up and enjoy the view.  Boston has a similar design bridge but they didn't incorporate access for people and  bikes.  I guess that demonstrates the nicer features of Southern grace, hospitality, and charm.

Pedestrian and bike lanes on the left, northbound motor vehicle lanes at center, and southbound lanes beyond the barrier at extreme right.

View from the north tower looking south - I only had to hang out over the water a little bit.

Two joggers being pushed by a 30-knot quartering tailwind.

The scale of these cable anchors boggles the mind.

Tightening and tensioning these cables must have been challenging during construction.

Lots of angles and contrast.

The bridge is the tallest thing around for miles and miles and gives a great vantage point to just soak in the setting of Charleston and its environs - and it's a great cardio walk!


1 comment:

  1. A very interesting bridge design. Your last photo is a gem, Joe.

    ReplyDelete